New Contest! Who's in control?

[len19070]

I'm in.

My shop is a little over 600 sq. feet. 26X24. It was 40X24 but I took 14' off to make way for a kitchen, bath room/shower, stairs to the second floor and a part of the lumber rack.

The pictures tell a lot.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/len19070/al ... 2386305260

A few of my "in control" items are.

The Car goes in every night.

1. I have a lumber Rack. No plywood leaning against the wall no lumber standing around. Everything goes into the Rack. Little pieces get chopped up and disposed of.

2. Lots of cabinets. I have over 30' of work bench and upper & lower cabinets. Many with built in drawers.

3. I have threaded holes all over my work bench. These holes accommodate thumb screws that hold down several things. Drill press, grinder, guides for radial arm saw, miter box, molding bender and so on. Multipal uses for the same space.

4. I have 4, what I call "Bingo Tables" I don't lift anything. I slide it. Lumber comes into the shop off of the Truck (waist high), on to a table and either into the lumber rack or on to the saw. All lifting is only a few inches (from waist height). I also have a 5X10 Board room type table that stays up all the time. A big table is real handy for laying things out.

5. All Work stops a little after 3 pm, then a good clean up and promptly at 3:45 my Dad shows up and he enjoys a moderate size Manhattan and I a Diet Coke.

(I haven't changed the clock yet.)

Happy Trails

Len

[doug hodder]

Len...I get a problem with your link to your pics...don't know if anyone else is having that issue, but I've seen your shop before in pics and it's tasty...however..I know that there are lots of other guys/gals that have a really nice shop to show off....so how'z about some pics....it's a great prize....show off what ya got!!! Doug

[Kevin A]

Doug,
I just tried Len's photo link, no problem accessing it.

[Podunkfla]

Doug... I just tried his links... No problem here?

[Steve Frederick]

I had a problem earlier, fixed now!

[doug hodder]

I got it now....I cleaned mine up, but spent the day sanding epoxy and bondo.....gotta start all over, funny how you get tools scattered all over the place....doug

[Guy]

Dear All,

Not only does cleaning start at 3 pm in Len's shop, when his great Dad comes in he makes sure you are properly using the push broom. His lesson sticks with you because ever since when I use a push broom I look over my shoulder to make sure he ain't watchin'.

[len19070]

I forgot he gave you the broom lesson Guy. Its been stuck in my head for years.

"puuush, tap tap...puuush, tap tap."

Happy Trails

Len

[asianflava]

The lesson I heard in shop was, "It's called a push broom, not a pull broom."

[Guy]

Dear Rocky,

Of course it is a push broom and not a pull broom. It is how you push it that separates the men from the boys in Len's house.

You must push it once and then from a littler shallower than your final push distance you have to tap it twice against the stroked surface to get the dust out of the hairs. Then load up and repeat.

[halfdome, Danny]

Yeah! A push broom is OK to get up the heavy stuff... To get it really clean, blow out the shop with an air nozzle Danny

[asianflava]

Yeah! A push broom is OK to get up the heavy stuff... To get it really clean, blow out the shop with an air nozzle Danny

The hose on my compressor doesn't reach as far as I'd like, so I resort to a leaf blower. Just blow it all out the door.

Unfortunately, it's not always practical to use the blower. Just sweep into a a general area and suck it up with a shop vac. Those dust pans are so old school.

[halfdome, Danny]

Yeah! A push broom is OK to get up the heavy stuff... To get it really clean, blow out the shop with an air nozzle Danny

The hose on my compressor doesn't reach as far as I'd like, so I resort to a leaf blower. Just blow it all out the door.

Unfortunately, it's not always practical to use the blower. Just sweep into a a general area and suck it up with a shop vac. Those dust pans are so old school.

Several years ago when copper was still cheap I installed 1" copper pipes all around the ceiling corners of my shop with seven 1/2" drop down pipes with air fittings on each one. Now anywhere in the shop I can hook up an air hose. The compressor hooks up at the first drop down pipe with a "T" connector for an easy to use system. Danny

[Miriam C.]

Boy at the rate this is going I have time to clean mine up and build some cabinetts. Well maybe clean it up.

Common guys don't make it too easy for them. I know from the Garage thread some of you have some seriously nice digs.

[Endo]

Now this is my kind of contest. My wife and I both have a slight case of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) . I make it a habit to clean up the shop at the end of the day. It is the only way I can find my tools the next time I'm out there . Here are a few photos of the shop:

One of my workbenches, tool storage, drill press on casters, mobile tool cart, color TV hooked up to cable and I wired the garage for stereo. In the cabinet on the left end of the workbench is a trash can. I cut a "trash shoot" into the countertop directly over the trash can, so I can easily clear the counter of debris by just pushing it into the trash shoot.


Storage and supplies


This is a multi function cart that I built. It holds my grinder, my disk sander, vise, buffing/polishing wheel, and my welder. The table for the disk sanding station is the table from my router table so I can also reinstall the router when needed. I also have a small shop vac hooked up to a home built dust collector for the disk sander.


I installed a "cutain" to divide the garage into two sections. This helps to contain the dust somewhat.


I installed a blower from a furnace into the outside wall to help clear the air of dust and smoke. I use it mainly when welding. I also installed a radiant gas heater.


This is a very simple but extremely useful tool. I installed an outlet in the ceiling in the center of the shop. I then installed a drop light/retractable extension cord. I always have an extension cord close at hand and it will reach anywhere in the shop.